The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of hybrid Baptisia plant, botanically known as Baptisia ‘Brownie Points’ and will be referred to hereafter by its cultivar name, ‘Brownie Points’. The new cultivar represents a new false indigo, a hardy herbaceous perennial grown for landscape and cut flower use.
The new invention arose from a long term breeding program at a nursery in Waseca, Minn. and continued at a wholesale perennial nursery in Zeeland, Mich. with the specific intention of improving garden worthiness of perennial False Indigo plants with a wider variety of flower colors and improved garden habit.
Baptisia ‘Brownie Points’ was a selection of a specific unreleased but unidentified proprietary hybrid of Baptisia sphaerocarpa and the male or pollen parent was an unknown Baptisia from an open pollinated isolation block selection consisting of proprietary complex hybrids. Also in the isolation block were advanced hybrids of Baptisia minor, australis, alba, and cinerea. 
Seeds were collected from individual selected female plants in fall of 2009 at the isolation block in Waseca, Minn., USA by the inventor. The exact identity of the female and male parent is not known but both were from proprietary unreleased and non-patented plants. Either or both parents had a high percentage of Baptisia sphaerocarpa. The seeds were sown by the inventor in Zeeland, Mich., USA in the fall of 2009 with the initial selection made in the spring of 2012 and the new plant was assigned the breeder code “intense brown.” Asexual propagation by cuttings was initially propagated in spring 2012 at a wholesale perennial nursery in Zeeland, Mich. The results of asexual propagation are that the new plant is stable and retains its true characteristics though successive generations of asexual propagation. Propagation method for asexually reproducing plants is primarily stem cuttings. Sterile plant tissue culture can also be used for asexual propagation.
The nearest comparison plant is Baptisia ‘Cherries Jubilee’ U.S. Plant Pat. No. 23,907 which differs from the new plant in having maroon tinted yellow flowers. Baptisia sphaerocarpa ‘Screamin' Yellow’ (not patented) produces yellow flowers on upright stems, but with no brown tinting. Rare plants of Baptisia tinctoria may develop slight brown or dark purple tinting to the mainly yellow flowers, but the leaves are much smaller, the flowers are smaller and not on tall upright stems. These are the nearest comparison plants known to the inventor and Baptisia ‘Brownie Points’ is distinct from these and all other Baptisia plants known to the inventor.
The new plant differs from all Baptisia known to the inventor in the following combined traits:                1. Compact vase shape habit in lower portion with upright spreading stems forming a mound in the upper portion.        2. Several chocolate-brown colored flowers on well-branched stems held mostly above the foliage in spring.        3. Young foliage and stems with light green to chartreuse coloring.        